ABSTRACT
The mission of corrections is the protection of the public through the prevention of crime. Prison staff are an integral component of the correctional process and responsible for carrying out this mission. This chapter examines the issue of staff corruption as a form of unethical conduct and how this unethical behavior mitigates or neutralizes the punishment process and undermines the safety and security of the prison. Unfortunately, corruption has been a persistent feature of the prison environment. The deprivations associated with confinement provide strong incentives for inmates or their friends or family to figure out ways to make serving time easier. This driving force combined with the huge amount of discretionary powers that correctional officials possess, combined with weak oversight, make corruption probable, if not a certainty, in most prison systems.
